A Stranger

Part 1

Neo rolled over onto her back. She turned her head a couple times and narrowed her eyebrows. She clenched a hold of the blanket. With a startling gasp, Neo shot up in bed. "Something's wrong."

"Neo?" Law asked groggily. "What is it?"

"Something's not right," Neo hastily answered. She summoned then snapped out her wings. Before Law could ask anything else, Neo took into the air. She flew right over to Corazon. She peered into the crib to find their son safely sleeping with his thumb in his mouth. She sighed and reached in to touch his cheek to make sure this wasn't a dream.

Law walked up behind her. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "What is it, love?"

"I don't know. Something just feels wrong." Neo pulled her hand away from Corazon and bit her thumbnail. She twisted in Law's arms so she would face him. "I need to check on the crew. Will you stay with Cora? Please, Law? I really just need to check on them. I have to know they're all okay."

"You know I'll stay." Law then allowed her to slip from his grip. He leaned against the crib as he watched Neo quickly leave their room.

Neo rushed down the halls to the crews quarters. She scanned every single corner, every single room, every single shadow. Nothing seemed to be out of place. But Neo still couldn't shake the feeling that something just wasn't right. The sub was oddly cooler than usual, but she knew that wouldn't cause her to feel like this.

She paused at the control room and peered inside. The crew mate that was on guard greeted her with a concerned smile. "Is something wrong, Neo?"

"I'm not sure," Neo replied, darting her eyes around the room. "Has anything happened?"

"No, ma'am," The man shook his head. "Been quiet all night long."

"All right," Neo nodded. "Thanks. See you later."

"Sure thing," The crew mate replied.

Neo left that room and continued on through the sub. When she got to her destination, she quickly, but quietly, entered into the crews room. It wasn't a room she ever visited often. And when she did, she always knocked before entering. Tonight she didn't. It was a little past three thirty in the morning. She knew the crew would be sleeping by this time.

When inside, she walked to each and every one of the bunks that filled the room. All members were accounted for. All members were sleeping peacefully. Neo walked back over to Penguin and Shachi's shared bunk. Shachi was on top and Penguin was on bottom. Both had their mouths hanging open and were blushing. She couldn't help but smile. No doubt they were dreaming of pretty women.

While watching them sleep, Penguin kicked his cover off. Neo grabbed the blanket and pulled it back over him. She watched him sleep before running her eyes over the room one more time then left. As she walked back to her and Law's room, she started to feel a bit silly, but continued to scan for possible dangers.

When she got back to their room, Law was patiently waiting for her to return right where she had left him. Law pushed off the crib to meet her halfway across the room. He immediately wrapped her up in his arms. She laid her head on his bare chest and sighed. "Do you feel better now?"

"Not really," Neo sighed again. "Nothing was wrong. Everyone's where they're supposed to be. So why do I feel like this?"

"Did you have a dream?"

"I don't think so," Neo looked up at him and narrowed her eyebrows. "I might have. I'm not sure."

"Come on," Law pulled her towards their bed. They laid down and he pulled her into is arms again. He kissed her hair. "You problem just had a weird dream that shook you up. Nothings wrong. Everything and everyone's fine. I'm right here, okay?"

She tilted her head so she could look at him. "Will you hold me? At least until I fall asleep?"

"Of course," Law leaned down and kissed her. Once they broke the kiss, Neo laid her head on his chest. Sensing she wasn't going to go back to sleep anytime soon, Law started to rub her back. Eventually, he lulled her into sleeping again. He continued to hold her while scanning his eyes around their room.

Though he didn't tell her, he was having the same feeling too. He didn't want her to worry anymore than she already was. He knew that her instincts had gotten a whole lot sharper since Corazon was born. If she was this worried, then something was going to happen. He just couldn't formulate a possible guess as to what it was. Law sighed and kissed her hair again then tried to fall back to sleep himself.

…

The crew exchanged looks then looked back at Neo. Silently, they picked at their breakfast while continuing to toss glances around. They all could sense that she wasn't herself this morning. She was sitting at the table with them, mindlessly feeding Corazon. Corazon was busy playing with his food more than he was eating it. Half of his face and clothes were covered in his baby food.

Law tapped his finger on the table while thinking. A few seconds later, he spoke up. "You know, Neo, we've been spending a lot of time underwater here lately."

"Uh huh," Neo replied half heartily.

"I was thinking we could surface for a few hours. You could spend some time outside on the deck. The fresh air might help you feel better," Law said. Neo raised her eyes to him then dropped them back to Corazon.

"That sounds like fun," Penguin added. "We've been wanting to do some fishing."

"Yup," Shachi nodded.

"I'd love to nap in the sun," Bepo said. They waited for her to answer, but she didn't.

"Neo?" Law reached over and placed his hand on hers when she brought the spoon to Corazon's mouth again.

"I heard you all," Neo replied. She gave them a small smile. "And all right. Maybe it will help to spend some time in the sun."

"And we'll take care of the dishes today," A crew mate said.

"Yeah! And no arguing!" The rest of the crew added in.

"Na na, ba ba," Corazon babbled.

"And Cora agrees with us! So you have to listen," Shachi said with a wink.

"Okay, okay," Neo giggled. "I'm obviously outnumbered on this one."

"That's our good girl!" The crew cheered while they all attempted to hug her at once. Law smirked at the scene before him.

"Law! You could help me out here!" Neo shot him a playful glare for just sitting there.

"Sorry, love. You deserve this one," Law returned his own playful glare to her.

"Thanks a lot!" Neo stuck her tongue out at him.

Law just chuckled. He finished off his tea and stood up. He then patted Corazon's head then pecked her cheek. "And I'll be punishing you later for sticking your tongue out at me."

Neo's face flushed, knowing exactly the kind of punishment he was talking about. The crew knew too and began to tease her about it. They elbowed her while wiggling their eyebrows. Her face flushed even darker. "You'll like that!"

"He's gonna punish you!"

"Easy, guys," Penguin warned. He stood up and headed for the door. "You know not to tease her like that."

"Oh! You perverts!" Neo rolled her eyes.

"We still love you. But it's too much fun to tease you. We have to do it," Shachi smiled brightly. "A least a little bit."

"Uh huh," Neo summoned her wind crystals and suspended the crew in the air. Corazon giggled and waved his arms up at the crew.

"Neo!" The crew protested. "Put us down!"

"Come on, Cora," Neo cooed as she plucked Corazon out of his high chair. "Let's get you cleaned up."

"I warned you," Penguin said while Neo walked by him with Corazon in her arms. She tossed a smirk back at the crew while leaving them suspended in the air.

"The captain's been a bad influence on her," A crew mate said.

"Uh huh," They all nodded in agreement. "But we still love her."

…

Neo sat on the railing of the sub, her legs on the deck side instead of the ocean side. Corazon was on the deck trying desperately to climb upon Bepo's sleeping form. She smiled at his determination, but knew he wouldn't make it yet. He was only thirteen months old now. He didn't even know how to walk yet. She had no doubt, it wouldn't be much longer now. Corazon was reaching and beating each mile stone so easily. She wasn't surprised. After all, he has Law's blood in his veins.

She summoned her wind crystals and assisted Corazon upon Bepo when it was obvious he was going to cry. Now on Bepo's stomach, Corazon shrieked happily. Shachi and Penguin both chuckled. They were on the railing as well. Only their legs were dangling on the ocean side along with their fishing lines.

Corazon continued to make happy noises. He gave Neo a bright smile. "Mum mum."

Neo smiled and chuckled at Corazon's cuteness. The boy then turned his attention back to the sleeping bear. He patted and bounced upon Bepo's stomach multiple times. If Bepo felt it, he showed no signs. Bepo had become accustom to the baby playing on him. Both loved it.

Corazon flailed his arms again, this time causing himself to loose his balance. He started to fall towards the ocean side of the deck. Neo summoned her wind crystals to catch him, but Bepo raised his arm at the right time and kept Corazon from falling off him. Bepo, still sleeping, pushed Corazon back on his stomach and mumbled in his sleep. "Dumb fish…Don't hit our baby boy! I'm gonna eat you now…"

A frown pulled Corazon's lips down as he looked up at Neo. His frown morphed into a wail. Neo lifted him up with her winds and pulled him into her arms. She kissed his forehead. "There, there poor baby. Did you get scared? It's okay. Uncle Bepo saved you, didn't he?"

"Huh?" Shachi suddenly said. He pointed out into the ocean. "What is that?"

"What's what?" Penguin asked, looking out to where Shachi was pointing. A few seconds later, both the men shrieked. "It's a person!"

"There's someone floating in the water! Man, or woman, overboard!" Shachi shouted.

"I've got them," Neo said. She slid off the railing and turned towards the ocean. Summoning her water crystals, she lifted the person out of the ocean and laid them down on the deck. "It's a woman."

While the three adults looked down at their mystery woman, Corazon fussed and tried to climb higher in Neo's arms. The woman was tall, probably about Law's height, very curvy body with straight long black hair. She was wearing something that looked like a light green bikini top without straps and a dark green wrap with white spots tided around her hips. If she had shoes, she lost the in the ocean as her feet were bare. She wore a golden circlet with a deep green jewel in the middle of her forehead, gold bracelets decorated her ankles and wrists with matching golden hoops as earrings.

Shachi tilted his head. "She kinda looks like the Pirate Empress."

"She's wounded," Penguin said while kneeling down to the woman's left arm. She had a rather deep cut on it. "It looks like it's on the verge of being infected."

"What do you think happened to her?" Neo asked.

"Dunno," Penguin shook his head. "It doesn't really look like she was in a fight. Maybe she was on a ship and it got attacked by pirates or something and she tried to escape."

Neo kneeled down to take a closer look at the woman. She rubbed Corazon's back when he fussed again and tugged on her shirt. "I don't believe it."

"What is it, Neo?" Shachi asked.

"She…She's magical," Neo replied.

"What?!" Shachi and Penguin shrieked.

"She's not an Elemental, but she definitely does have magic," Neo looked up at the men. "I can sense it. It doesn't feel like Time Guardian magic either. I don't know what she is."

"What's going on?" Law asked as he walked through the door.

"Law," Neo looked over her shoulder. She then stood up and turned to him. "This woman was floating out in the ocean. She injured…And she's magical."

Law blinked at her then looked down at the unconscious woman. He crossed his arm and studied the situation. Neo stepped beside him. "What shall we do?"

"Let's take her to the medical bay," Law said.

"Are you sure?" Neo asked.

"It's fine. I'll patch up her arm. Once she's awake, we'll learn where she's from. Maybe there's an island nearby where we can drop her off at," Law said. He put his arm around Neo's waist and turned her towards the door. He toss Shachi and Penguin a look over his shoulder. "Bring her in."

Law then guided Neo into the sub. "How are you feeling now?"

"A little better," Neo replied. "Being outside did help some after all."

"I'm glad to hear it," Law said before kissing her.

"Dada!" Their kiss was interrupted by Corazon's happy shrieking. The two parted and looked at him. Corazon waved his arms at Law. "Dada!"

"Someone wants to see his daddy," Neo giggled. Law smiled and took their son into his arms. The three walked into the medical bay just as Shachi, carrying the woman, and Penguin arrived.

"Go back to mommy now," Law said while handing Corazon back to Neo. Corazon fussed and reached for Law again. He patted their son's head. "I've got some work to do right now. I promise to hold you again once I'm done."

"Dada!" Corazon chirped again. Law chuckled and tickled Corazon under his chin, earning a cute giggled from their baby. Law then turned and started to patch up the stranger's arm.

"How's she doing?" Neo asked a little while later.

"She'll be fine. There is a bit of an infection in the wound, but it'll be fine too," Law replied. "I'm using some healing medicine from Luminous since she's magical."

"Probably a good idea," Neo said with a nod. She looked down at the woman. A strange feeling washed over her. She tightened her arms around Corazon. "I…I hope she's not an enemy."

Law finished up with the strange woman then walked over to Neo. He kissed her before speaking. "If she is, I'll eliminate her immediately."

"You're such a wonderful protector," Neo purred.

"Da da da," Corazon clapped his hands then held them out for Law.

"All right. I did promise," Law chuckled as he took their son into his arms. With their son in one arm and Neo on the others, Law guided them out of the medical bay leaving their strange quest behind.

…

Author's Notes: K, I'm starting up again. Hope people like it. I keep second guessing it, but it sounds like a fun idea. So here we GOOOOOO!

Sariko-chan723: Hi! Thanks a lot! Doflamingo and Kid you ask, hm? I might have worked a few surprise appearances in here with what I planned. Maybe even a certain big surprise from 'someone'. We'll see soon. ^_^